18. (Mechanical Engineering) (of a machine part) having precise motion with no hysteresis or backlash

19. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) chieflyUS (of a government) directly involved in activities beyond the minimum maintenance of law and order, such as social welfare or the organization of scientific research

20. (Economics) economics of or denoting an analysis that is free of ethical, political, or value judgments

21. (Astrology) astrology of, relating to, or governed by the group of signs of the zodiac that belong to the air and fire classifications, which are associated with a self-expressive spontaneous nature

n

22. something that is positive

23. (Mathematics) maths a quantity greater than zero

24. (Photography) photog a print or slide showing a photographic image whose colours or tones correspond to those of the original subject

25. (Grammar) grammar the positive degree of an adjective or adverb

26. (Chemistry) a positive object, such as a terminal or plate in a voltaic cell

27. (Instruments) music

a. Also called: positive organ a medieval nonportable organ with one manual and no pedals. Compare portative organ

c. (of a person) diagnosed as having a specified disease or medical condition.

21. noting a numerical quantity greater than zero.

22. of or designating the initial degree of grammatical comparison, used with reference to the simple, base form of an adjective or adverb, as good or smoothly. Compare comparative (def. 4),superlative (def. 2).

23. (of government) assuming control or regulation of activities beyond those involved merely with the maintenance of law and order.

24. Biol. oriented or moving toward the focus of excitation: a positive tropism.

25. of or designating a photographic print or transparency showing the brightness values as they are in the subject.

pos·i·tive

2. Having the electric charge of a proton. The symbol for a positive charge is a plus sign.

3. Showing the presence, as in a blood test, of a suspected disease or microorganism.

positive

litotes - From Greek litos, "simple, single," it refers to an ironical understatement (e.g. no small amount) or two negatives used to make a positive (e.g. it was not unsuccessful); it is pronounced lie-TOH-teez, LEYED-uh-teez, LID-uh-teez, or leye-TOHD-eez.

set point - One's set point (for happiness) is a genetically determined level of happiness, to which one returns after positive or negative emotional experiences.

Positive, comparative, superlative, - Positive is the ordinary form of a word, with comparative conveying a sense of greater intensity of the adjective and superlative reflecting the greatest intensity of the adjective.

sure, certain - having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured; "felt certain of success"; "was sure (or certain) she had seen it"; "was very sure in his beliefs"; "sure of her friends"

formal - being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress); "pay one's formal respects"; "formal dress"; "a formal ball"; "the requirement was only formal and often ignored"; "a formal education"

Quotations"positive: mistaken at the top of one's voice" [Ambrose Bierce The Devil's Dictionary]"You've got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive""Elim-my-nate the negative""Latch on to the affirmative""Don't mess with Mister In-Between" [Johnny Mercer Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive]

Physically they were almost a race apart, and out-of-door work had given them a vigour which, when they got over their first shyness on coming to town, developed into a positive carriage and freedom of movement, and made them conspicuous among Black Hawk women.

The most positive mandate from him who seemed the acknowledged leader, was liable to be violated at each moment by any rash hand that might choose to sacrifice a victim to the manes of some dead friend or relative.

They may love other individuals far better than their relatives,--they may even cherish dislike, or positive hatred, to the latter; but yet, in view of death, the strong prejudice of propinquity revives, and impels the testator to send down his estate in the line marked out by custom so immemorial that it looks like nature.

I was a little late on the scene, and I felt, as he stood wistfully looking out for me before the door of the inn at which the coach had put him down, that I had seen him, on the instant, without and within, in the great glow of freshness, the same positive fragrance of purity, in which I had, from the first moment, seen his little sister.

But when a man's religion becomes really frantic; when it is a positive torment to him; and, in fine, makes this earth of ours an uncomfortable inn to lodge in; then I think it high time to take that individual aside and argue the point with him.

But as perhaps fifty of these whale-bone whales are harpooned for one cachalot, some philosophers of the forecastle have concluded that this positive havoc has already very seriously diminished their battalions.

Her theological tenets were all made up, labelled in most positive and distinct forms, and put by, like the bundles in her patch trunk; there were just so many of them, and there were never to be any more.

These people had seen me do the very showiest bit of magic in history, and the only one within their memory that had a positive value, and yet here they were, ready to take up with an adventurer who could offer no evidence of his powers but his mere unproven word.

It is said that the student likes to appear on the street and in other public places in this kind of array, and that this predilection often keeps him out when exposure to rain or sun is a positive danger for him.

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